X Times 10
by Sydella
Summary: Ten important moments in the Tenth Generation's lives. Growing up doesn't have to be painful when you have a family by your side.


Tsuna cares for his Guardians, and they care for him too. Still, he feels a little disturbed when they just can't seem to leave him alone.

At first, it's only Gokudera who displays classic stalker behaviour, popping out from behind a wall like a Jack-in-the-box when Tsuna's least expecting him to, and somehow always knowing exactly where Tsuna is. Mildly annoying, yes, but Tsuna has grown accustomed to his Storm Guardian's overprotective nature by now, so he isn't too bothered by it. It gets weirder, though, when Yamamoto also starts randomly showing up at the Sawada residence and staring at Tsuna for no apparent reason, not even attempting to laugh it off when Tsuna notices him doing so.

While his two closest Guardians' conduct is a little odd, Tsuna normally wouldn't mind. After all, they are the first two members of his true family and he trusts them implicitly. However, when the other Guardians also begin behaving strangely towards him, he starts to wonder if some kind of conspiracy is brewing right under his nose. First, Chrome glues herself to his side and when he asks why she isn't hanging out with the other Vongola girls, she confides that she's carrying out Mukuro's orders. Ryohei's boxing club membership offers keep increasing and the Sun Guardian's persistence, which was once fairly amusing, is now getting on Tsuna's nerves. Hibirds follow Tsuna everywhere he goes and at night, Lambo sneaks into Tsuna's room and plops down on the bed, complaining about I-Pin's snoring, although Tsuna knows for a fact that I-Pin is a quiet sleeper. On group outings, they hem him in on all sides and form a little procession with him in the centre. The last straw comes when Tsuna goes abroad and finds that all of his Guardians are staying in the exact same city, in the exact same hotel…and on the _exact same floor_.

"Dame-Tsuna, you should be glad that your Guardians care so much about you," Reborn chides him. "They want to make sure that you're safe and well. Don't you understand?"

"I do understand." Tsuna sighs. "It's just that…well…I find their behaviour a little off-putting."

Reborn takes a sip of espresso and shrugs. "The solution is simple. Talk to them and explain how you feel."

Tsuna takes Reborn's advice and one lovely summer day, when the timing and atmosphere are just right, he presses his Guardians for an explanation. They exchange glances and shift nervously on the balls of their feet. Gokudera is the first to speak.

"Please forgive us if we have made you uncomfortable, Tenth," he says apologetically. "We're worried about you, that's all."

"Well, you don't have to be." Tsuna smiles reassuringly at his Guardians. "From now on, just relax, okay? I'll be fine."

They murmur their assent and for a few weeks, everything seemingly goes back to normal. Then, unexpectedly, Tsuna finds a tiny, spherical black object inside a new watch that his Guardians have bought for his birthday. The object would have escaped his attention if he hadn't accidentally dropped the watch in a lake and taken it for repairs. When the watchmaker discovers the object and hands it to him, Tsuna is bewildered and more than a little suspicious.

He corners Yamamoto at school the next day. "Do you know what this is?"

"Ahahaha, I haven't the faintest idea!" With a rather fixed smile, Yamamoto slowly inches away. "Er, I'll see you later. I have to go for baseball practice!" And with that, the Rain Guardian zooms away.

The other Guardians are equally evasive, until Gokudera eventually breaks down and admits that the object is nothing less than a tracking chip, designed for the sole purpose of keeping tabs on Tsuna. A long silence follows this revelation, then:

"EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

X

Due to the ever-shifting dynamics of their little posse, some of Tsuna's Guardians are only connected to each other because of, well, Tsuna. Without the nucleus, an atom cannot exist. For example, Ryohei and Mukuro rarely interact and have only exchanged a few words in all the time they have known each other. Naturally, both boys feel a little uneasy when they find themselves standing next to each other at a party. Mukuro smiles his trademark "borderline genocidal maniac" smile and Ryohei mutters that this is an extremely awkward situation.

"I agree," Mukuro says calmly, and Ryohei is startled-he hadn't expected Mukuro to hear him. "What say you we go outside? Get some fresh air, chat in privacy?"

"Uh, okay." Ryohei allows himself to be shepherded outside. Mukuro lights a cigarette and Ryohei looks at him in surprise.

Mukuro winks. "Smoking Bomb isn't the only one who lights up, although of course I smoke a lot less than he does. It's a rare indulgence, I'm afraid." He exhales a plume of smoke and adds, "It's an illusion, actually. Not quite the same as the real thing."

"I see." Ryohei fiddles with the cuffs of his sleeves. Mukuro conjures an ashtray out of thin air and stabs out the cigarette.

"So, Sasagawa Ryohei, how do you feel about Sawada Tsunayoshi?" the Mist Guardian asks without preamble.

Caught off guard, Ryohei stumbles over his words as Mukuro watches him expectantly. "Um, Sawada is…he's very stubborn about not joining the boxing club. I keep telling him…" Ryohei coughs. "Well, I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later. Aside from that, he's a good leader. He just lacks confidence."

Mukuro seems to ponder this for a moment. Then he gives Ryohei a curt nod and walks back inside. Ryohei watches him go, bemused. "What was that all about?" The Sun Guardian wonders out loud, scratching his head.

Tsuna is minding his own business (read: trying not to get killed) when Mukuro walks up to him, pats his head and leaves without another word.

X

Unbeknownst to the other Guardians, Hibari sometimes takes Tsuna on motorcycle trips. This little tradition began when Tsuna approached Hibari with an important question, and Hibari kept refusing to answer until he finally partially gave in and told Tsuna that they could reach an agreement if they did it _his _way. Cue several hours of whizzing past stoplights, tussling over speeding tickets with traffic wardens who couldn't decide whether to be more angry or terrified, and holding on for dear life as Hibari declared that "obeying the speed limit is for herbivores". The experience was exhilarating and scary all at once. In the end, the arrangement worked out and Hibari actually seems more good-natured on these trips, so they have made a routine out of it.

Once, they end up at a pier and Tsuna leans over the railings, enjoying the fresh sea air. "I wonder where that one's going," he says, pointing at a large ship without a flag.

"Maybe China," Hibari replies absently, joining him. "If you look closely, there are Chinese characters on the side."

Tsuna peers at the side of the ship facing them. "Oh, you're right! They're actually kind of similar to kanji, but I can't read the whole thing." He looks back at Hibari. "So you can read the Chinese language, huh. I can't say I'm really surprised, because Hibari-san is amazing. Is there anything you can't do?"

"I can't cook. That's why I like hamburger," Hibari states curtly. Tsuna laughs and Hibari glares at him, but then the corners of the older boy's mouth grudgingly curl up in a half-smile. In companionable silence, they observe the comings and goings on the pier until the sun begins to sink beneath the horizon.

"You have something to discuss with me, don't you?" Hibari finally says, his face expressionless. "Tell me, small animal."

"I just want to get to know you better, Hibari-san," Tsuna answers in a small voice. "We've been going on these trips for a while now, and I still don't know anything about your life outside of our school or our town. You never talk about your family and childhood…"

Hibari turns away and gazes at the sunset. "You'd better not have ulterior motives."

"I don't!" Tsuna holds up his hands. "You can tell me anything, and I won't tell anyone else. I promise."

Sighing, Hibari reaches out and gently adjusts the collar of Tsuna's uniform, the disciplinarian's grey eyes fixed on the Chinese ship. "I'll tell you someday, small animal. But not right now."

X

Yamamoto likes to watch Tsuna sleep.

It sounds like something shameful and regrettable, a statement that should immediately be retracted. _I like to watch my closest friend, who also happens to be my boss, sleep_. But it's undeniably true. When the house is silent and the only sound outside is the chirping of crickets, Yamamoto quietly opens the door to Tsuna's room, peeks in and, upon detecting the huddled, blanket-wrapped lump that is Tsuna, enters stealthily and sits by Tsuna's bedside until he himself feels sleepy, whereupon he leaves as quietly as he came.

There's something soothing about watching Tsuna's round, innocent face in repose. The young Vongola heir never wakes up in time to learn about these nocturnal visits. Yamamoto longs to unwrap the cocoon that Tsuna works himself into on a nightly basis. "What are you hiding from, Tsuna? The monsters under your bed?" he whispers, patting the other boy's side, and chuckles affectionately when Tsuna stirs and mumbles something unintelligible.

The visits start off as platonic, but as time goes by, he finds himself wondering what it would feel like to lie down beside Tsuna, kiss the top of his head and hold the smaller boy in his arms. He would never do anything to betray Tsuna's trust, of course. A little cuddling never hurt anyone, right? Unfortunately-or perhaps fortunately-Gokudera effectively derails that particular train of thought in Yamamoto's mind. One fine evening, the Storm Guardian walks into Tsuna's room, takes one look at Yamamoto curled around Tsuna's sleeping form and promptly passes out.

Yamamoto doesn't make any more nocturnal visits for a while. To his surprise, when he returns, Tsuna is sitting up in bed and waiting for him with a knowing smile.

X

A few years after the battle with the Vindice, Tsuna reflects on the aftermath and wonders how his mother would feel if she were to ever find out about the Mafia. Nana's memories were wiped after she was attacked during the battle, but Tsuna instinctively senses that those memories are buried somewhere deep within her mind and she is vaguely aware of their existence. With support and encouragement from Haru and Kyoko, who were once left out of the loop themselves, he musters the courage to tell Nana about his new life and all that he's been through.

Imagine his shock when Nana flies into a rage and accuses him of lying. "How can you say such things about your father?" she seethes. "Mafia indeed. Why don't you put more effort into your studies instead of making up fairy tales?"

Tsuna is justifiably upset at first, and the girls can offer no better explanation than "a woman's heart is complicated". As he grows older and wiser, however, he gradually comes to understand why his mother reacted the way she did.

There is only one fundamental difference between children and adults: adults are better at pretending.

Nana could either embrace the darkness lurking in her life or preserve her marriage and sanity. She had made the choice long ago.

X

"Baseball idiot, I will entrust you with the Tenth's safety," Gokudera says briskly as he whirls around his apartment stuffing things into a suitcase. "Even you can't mess up too badly for a month."

"Sure thing!" Yamamoto replies cheerfully, ignoring Gokudera's jibes as usual. "Just leave everything to me. Tsuna will be just fine."

"I don't want the Tenth to be _just _fine. I want him to be very happy." Gokudera briefly stops packing and stares hard at Yamamoto. "If he so as much as coughs or sneezes, have some pills for him at the ready. If Shamal's in town, make him treat the Tenth. I don't care how you do it, even if you have to physically assault Shamal or promise him yet another trip to a hostess club. If the Tenth is unhappy, listen to all he has to say. Make sure he eats three proper meals a day. Don't let the sunlight hurt his eyes when he wakes up, you must always keep his curtains shut in the mornings. Stop Lambo from harassing him too much. Don't let him walk home alone, he might get attacked by the stupid neighbourhood thugs. Help him with his homework. Keep him safe and happy-" Gokudera abruptly stops talking, his green eyes welling up.

Yamamoto gently hugs the Storm Guardian, who is crying and hiccupping by now. "I know, Hayato. I know."

Gokudera furiously wipes away his tears and manages to finish packing, throwing a few more items into his suitcase. "D-done," he croaks, blowing his nose. Yamamoto doesn't know if Gokudera's simply referring to the packing process or talking about something else, and doesn't ask.

Minutes later, outside the apartment building, Gokudera hails a cab and gets in without looking at Yamamoto. The bad-boy mask is once again firmly in place on the Storm Guardian's face. "I'll text you when I arrive at the airport," he mutters, still not looking at Yamamoto.

"Okay." The driver looks impatiently at her watch and Gokudera slams the door shut. Yamamoto waves as the cab pulls away and trundles down the street. Gokudera turns to look and reluctantly waves back.

Only after boarding his flight does Gokudera realise that Yamamoto just called him by his first name like it was no big deal, and strangely, he doesn't mind. He doesn't mind at all.

X

"It's a long way down, baby," a female voice croons from the speakers of Chrome's radio.

_It certainly is_. Chrome lies on her back and stares at the ceiling of her room. The singer doesn't specify what 'it' is, but Chrome understands. The song could be referring to hell, sex, bureaucracy…anything goes, really. Music doesn't need to be understood with a master's thesis. Just connecting with songs on an emotional level is enough. Come to think of it, perhaps she and M.M. are not so different after all. The sounds of a clarinet being skilfully played reach Chrome's ears, as if to punctuate her statement.

Yawning and stretching, she gets off her bed and rummages in her closet. Kokuyou uniform, Namimori uniform, an old cotton blouse with a few holes in it…she will have to go shopping soon. Some of her clothes don't fit her anymore and it's already slightly uncomfortable living in a male-dominated household; she doesn't want to walk around in tops that are tight enough to draw unwanted attention to her bust.

A cracked mirror hangs on a wall in Chrome's room. She catches sight of her reflection and smiles ruefully. Her wardrobe is the last of her problems. Things are changing and she's not sure if she likes the changes. All she knows for certain is that she now has a place to come home to and people who care about her. No one is ever going to take that away from her.

Not even her mother and stepfather. Chrome glares at the lawyer's letter that arrived in the mail for her today and repeats the words over and over like a mantra. _Not even my mother and stepfather. Not even my mother and stepfather. Not even those two _scumbags.

X

Mukuro hates being told what to do. The last person who tried doing that is now buried in a Mafia cemetery. He will be damned if he lets himself be swayed by Sawada Tsunayoshi's idealistic dreams of building a better world. Considering what he's done to get to where he is today, he will _literally _be damned.

Oh, what the hell. His fate is already sealed anyway.

The weather is beautiful right now, all overcast and misty. He sits at a desk in Kokuyou Land and tries to read the papers, but Fran keeps whining about one thing or another. Exasperated, Mukuro attends to him until M.M. finishes music practice and can look after him. Once the child has been foisted on her, Mukuro returns his attention to the papers, but now finds that he has lost his concentration. He feels a sense of foreboding, as if something thoroughly unpleasant is about to happen soon, but he doesn't know what.

Oh well, no point worrying until the shit actually does hit the fan. In the meantime, he knows just what to do to take his mind off things. Leaning back in his chair, he puts his legs up on the desk, ignoring M.M.'s disapproving glance, and proceeds to stuff his face with chocolate.

X

Hibari strokes Hibird's head absently, deep in thought. Tetsu's father has been hospitalised and the Kusakabe family are not wealthy, to say the least. How best to deal with this predicament? Well, Hibari can either use brute force to intimidate the hospital staff into waiving all expenses, or he can pay all the medical bills himself. It isn't as if he, ruler of Namimori, is lacking in money.

Making up his mind on the spot and satisfied with his decision, Hibari withdraws money from his sizable bank account and resolutely makes his way towards Namimori Hospital. On the way there, he reflects that there was a time when he would have just chosen the first option and beaten the hospital staff into a bloody pulp without a second thought. This non-violent approach feels more than a little alien and Hibari wonders if he will ever get used to it.

He is the Cloud. No one and nothing will ever pin him down. Even the Sky will be bitten to death by him someday.

But maybe, just maybe, it isn't such a bad thing to cruise along and simply drift away above the earth for now.

X

The youngest. The smallest. The only Guardian who is consistently left out of battles, and even on the rare occasions that he is allowed to participate, his older and more competent self always conveniently pops by to save the day. Lambo is never truly given a chance to shine, unlike the other Guardians.

What is there left for him to do? Follow Tsuna around and pester him for candy, of course. The older boy rolls his eyes and slumps his shoulders, but never fails to deliver. A chocolate bar (courtesy of Mukuro), a lollipop, a caramel toffee…Tsuna is like a vending machine that only sells candy and Lambo is a loyal customer.

No matter how much candy he receives, though, none of it can ever compensate for the fact that he's always left behind. He just wants to be useful, but they won't let him. The great Lambo's talents are wasted on these silly teenagers who spend all their time thinking about homework, dating and other useless stuff. Well, despite evidence to the contrary, Lambo _can _be patient. The day will come when he shows the world what he's truly capable off.

Until then, he is perfectly content with running around the Sawada residence with a pair of Tsuna's oldest boxers pulled over his head and trying very hard not to fall for I-Pin (Girls _do _have cooties. Come on, it's a proven fact). He will wait.

**END**

XXXXXXXXXX


End file.
